He pointed the gun at her forhead "you stop lying NOW and tell him the truth about Quinns father or I am going to shoot him"he pointed the gun at Ryan" and then make "you watch as I leave with our son." Nicole closed her eyes sucking in one deep breath, she really never wanted it to go like this....

"No, its not a joke Heather get your husbands ass in gear and get out here!" Ryan clicked his phone closed. Out of the whole batch Heather was the only one who still held out help that after 3 years Nicole would show up someday. Eyeing the auburn haired woman he sighed, clicking his nails on the chipped wooden table.

She smiled at him, not in the 'oh I regocnize you I'm excited to see you' type smile. More of the 'be patient sir I'm on my way.' The twinge in his gut was still there. her hair was longer now, darker shade of brown, she carried herself a little diffrently, but it was her.

"How can I help you today sir?" She smiled cocking her hip out as she put pen to paper.

"Nicole?" He asked with a hesitant smile.

She looked down at her name tag and smiled,"yes that's my name. What can I get you sir?"

"don't call me sir, I work for a living. "He sighed leaning back in the chair. "Do you guys carry twisted tea?"

"Yes we do." She smiled, "Do you want some chicken fingers or French fries?"

"You have kids?" He asked weakly, the roil in his stomach starting to grow.

"Yes. One." She raised an eyebrow, a look he had always found amusing on her features. "What made you ask that?"

"Chicken fingers." He winked "tell tale sign of a mom."

"Oh,". She sighed " can I get you an order? Ranch or Marinara?"

Got her. His smile broadened "ranch please." His phone went off in his pocket as she walked away, pulling it out he answered the desperate call from Kayla. "Yes I'm sure its her get your collective asses down here."

********

"She's not acting like she knows us." Kayla commented sipping on her drink.

"Its. Her." Ryna said through gritted teeth running his hand over his buzz cut again.

"Are we all just going to sit here on our asses and wait for a lightning bolt of recognition or somthing? " Jonathan growled his nails drumming on the table, eyes narrowing through the wire rims of his glasses.

"Patinece is a virtue... " Heather said in a singsongy voice, swirling the diet coke in her hand. "But I have almost none left. I'm going to ask her." She stood up readjusting her scrub shirt but before she took a step forward a hand wrapped around her waist and dragged her into his lap.

"Your going to freak her out." Matthew whisphered in her ear, smoothing her hair slowly. "Wether its her or not we don't need to give her a heart attack. Other wise we may not find out why she ran. "

Nicoles eyes shifted over to the group again. It had grown from just Ryan in his army BDU's to Heather, Matthew, Sarah, Kayla, Jonathan and Joshua. She was sure Brandon and Christopher were not far behind. FUCK, she thought mentally. Of all the small towns they could have wandered into Ryan had a nack of finding the right one.

"I know we have 2 military uniforms in the house but get your head out of the clouds and get them there food would ya?" Kristyn chidded handing the plates through the salamander.

Nicole smiled at her business partner and shrugged "Can't blame me for a little fantasy can you?"

"Just get them there food, after you give them there check go home your sitter called and Quinns refusing to go to bed until your home.." Kristyn waved her off with a wicked grin.

Nicole sighed, the older woman was the queen of timing. Carrying the plates over to the table she smiled warmly at the group. "Can I get you folks anything else?"

"You may find this a bit invasive," Heather started crossing her arms and eyeing her up and down. "But can I get your last name?"

Nicole chewed her tounge, "Delarosa. Why are you asking?"

"You reminded me of someone I used to know." Heather sighed, her eyes no less intesnse as they searched her face for somthing Nicole knew she would never find.

****"You want me to do what?" Brandon asked. Starng blankly at Christopher who hadn't had a chance to get out of his greens yet in the passanger seat of the jeep.

"I want you to follow her. " Ryan growled. "She's wearing a black t-shirt and jeans and she just rushed out of here in what her manager said was a family emergency. I think Heather made her panic."

"Shut up." Heather glared at Ryan. She and Nicole where blood related, were as the rest of the group where adopted siblings from their time in Swallows Bay teen home from foster care. There was no way she was just going to let her older sister get away, when she hadn't been seen for 3 years.

"I see her now." Brandon whisphered into the phone. "She's getting in a blue jeep cheeroke. Will call in a bit."

"Afirm." Ryan clicked his phone shut and bit back a grin. "They will let us know when she stops."

"You had to use military style tracking didn't you? Couldn't just ask her?" Sarah grumbled grabbing the check from the table and pacing to the counter.

Jonathan sighed and buried his head in his hands. "You are sure its her? She didn't even recognize us a little bit."

"How exactly did she slip?" Kayla sighed, her heart was dropping again. This had to be another dead end, it had been so long even pictures could lie about similarities. There had to be more then one Nicole Delarosa in the world.

" All of the waters except for Heathers came with lemon, instead she gave you a lime. " Ryan pointed out the empty glasses. "She brought Kaylas with no ice, and when she asked me what dressings I wanted she started with ranch. To many of those are Nic's tell signs."

Heather smile spread across her cheeks "its her. There's no such thing as coincidence."

******

Nicole slid out of the driver seat and skipped up the 3 steps to the front door. Sliding in the oak door she dialed the disarm code on the security system before heading to check on Quinn and Marissa. Marissa as normal was perched on the top of the stairs book open on her lap.

"Wake up Marissa." She nudged the teenagers shoulder.

"I'm awake Nicole." She smiled sitting up and closing the anatomy book. Her grandmother was Nicoles partner, and alternated babysitting and working as a server for the catering events. Quinn was what she boasted as her best birth control and the major reason she was still a virgin which neither of the women minded one bit.

"You ready for your anatomy test?" Nicole asked as she helped the girl to her feet.

"Yes ma'm." She grinned "Quinn even helped with my note cards."

"He go to bed ok? " Nicole skipped over the last 2 steps and opened the door to the small bed room. Her son was curled up in the fetal position in his crib shirt bunched around his chest and thumb stuck in his mouth. Sliding the door closed quietly she smiled and headed to the door with Marissa.

She saw the jeep wrangler that had followed her on and off from the bar and grill turn down the driveway,"ill walk you to your car honey."

"Thanks."Marissa smiled and they quickly loaded her and her bags into the car. She was backing out. As the jeep pulled up leaving her enough room to leave. Nicole waved as the teenager left glaring hard at the wrangler. Brandon waved half heartedly and Christopher was examining her in detail in the cars head lights. "3..2..1.." And 3 more cars turned in the drive way.